By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: At least four policemen were killed and several others wounded in militant attack in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, officials said, amid a surge in violence blamed on groups operating near the Afghan border.
Four policemen, including a station house officer, died when armed militants ambushed a police party returning from a search operation in the Wanda Budh area of Paniala, according to a police statement. The operation had been launched in the jurisdiction of Shaheed Nawab police station based on intelligence reports of militants in the area, the statement added. The zone was cordoned off before the search began.
As the officers headed back, militants concealed in nearby forests opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire, it added. Four policemen were killed in the attack, with reports indicating as many militants also died in the clash. The slain officers were identified as Station House Officer Faheem Mumtaz, Constable Irfan Khan, Constable Ghulam Subhani and Constable Wajahat. Paharpur Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police Hafiz Adnan and Assistant Sub-Inspector Tariq sustained injuries.
A police spokesperson said the bodies of the dead and the wounded were taken to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital for treatment. In response, a large police contingent, headed by District Police Officer Sajad Ahmed Sahebzada, arrived at the site and initiated a clearance and search operation to capture the attackers, the spokesperson added. The area was sealed off, with the operation ongoing, according to the police statement. Efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies of the slain militants from the forest, while security was heightened in surrounding areas.
In a separate overnight assault in Bannu district, police repelled an attack on the Khunia Khel police post, killing three militants, said Aamir Khan, spokesman for the Regional Police Officer. Militants attempted to overrun the facility but were driven back by officers who displayed exceptional valor and professionalism, Khan added. Three attackers were killed and nine wounded in the firefight, while one policeman suffered minor injuries.
One militant was identified as commander Umar Azam, also known as Khazmati, and another as Shahidullah. The third’s identity was still being confirmed in the remote area. Khan said militants then mounted coordinated strikes on the Ahmadzai Police Station and the Fateh Khel police post, apparently in retaliation, but security forces at both sites forced the assailants to withdraw. Bannu, close to the Afghan border, has seen frequent militant activity. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced a rise in attacks in recent years, with groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan targeting police, security forces and government sites.
The violence underscores ongoing concerns about militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Pakistan has accused Afghan Taliban authorities of permitting such groups to operate from their soil, an allegation denied by Kabul, straining bilateral ties and sparking border clashes last year.
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